Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, June 22, 2012
www.issaquahreporter.com
Quick Moves
Animal abuser to keep dogs
Issaquah to decide on Klahanie annexation in 2013 BY CELESTE GRACEY CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
Three of the 100 abused dogs will return to Issaquah woman
Plans to annex Klahanie to a city are moving quicker than expected, but Issaquah’s leadership has far from decided whether to add the neighborhood to its boundaries or pass it off to Sammamish. For Issaquah City Council, it comes down to the money. If it costs more to operate Klahanie than it pays out, annexing would be a bad move for the rest of the city, said Tola Marts, council president. “My heart is with the Klahanie folks, but I have to use my head.” To figure out how much the neighborhood would cost to run, the council decided to add an $100,000 study to its budget next year. Interest is so high on the council, some even hope to get enough money to start the study this fall. Part of the push is politics. At the end of 2013, Issaquah could lose four of its seven councilmembers and Mayor Ava Frisinger’s seat will be up
BY CELESTE GRACEY CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
W
hen Rebecca Szper first began fostering DD, a long-haired Chihuahua, the pup did nothing but curl up in her lap. Aside from not being house broken, she seemed easy.
Then Szper began to notice that the dog also didn’t play, she didn’t smell things or even bark. DD, who was taken during an animal cruelty investigation, was a shell of a dog. Her owner, Issaquah’s Margaret Hamilton, People interested in 70, pleaded adopting one of the guilty to two abused pups can stop counts of by the King County Pet second-degree Adoption Center, 21615 animal cruelty. 64th Ave. S. in Kent, Courts fined or the Seattle Animal her $35,500. Shelter, 2061 15th Ave. Hamilton was W. in Seattle. able to keep For more information three dogs, and visit www.kingcounty. one of them is gov/pets or www.seDD. attleanimalshelter.org. “It’s devastating,” Szper said, keeping the now feisty Chihuahua calm with a tube of peanut butter. She believes Hamilton shouldn’t be allowed to have any dogs. Since taking care of DD, Szper has seen the pup change. While she doesn’t do well with
Adopt a dog
SEE KLAHANIE, 3
Rebecca Szper holds DD, a long-haired Chihuaha that was taken from an Issaquah woman during an animal abuse investigation. DD is one of three that will be returned to the convicted abuser. Beside her stands Wally, her own dog. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter strangers, she’s silly and sweet with her caretakers. So much so that Szper began calling her “DD,” because her original name, Diva, was so ill-fitting. “Right now there is a light behind her eyes,” she said. The dog with its wispy hair is also beautiful. “That’s her downfall.”
Hamilton was a breeder, but she also was a judge for the American Kennel Club. When animal control arrived, she had hidden some dogs she intended to show, according to court documents. AKC, known for nationally certifying SEE DOG ABUSE, 3
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